Corrections Today articles from August 2006

Corrections Today archives from August 2006

ACA speaks up for correctional staff and inmates alike.(American Correctional Association)(Organization overview)
August 1, 2006... For nearly a century and a half, the American Correctional Association has existed to represent the corrections profession as well as to advocate for the proper treatment of offenders. In fact, one of the reasons that ACA was founded was to...

Leadership takes on a variety of styles.(Column)
August 1, 2006... Leadership styles take on many forms depending on the circumstances of a given situation. They may be "maintenance" styles geared toward keeping an already efficiently operating facility or organization on the right track. Or they may be more...

"Guard" must go.(correctional officers is the new term to be used)
August 1, 2006... As corrections professionals, we rely on journalists to credibly and accurately inform the public about our field. Unfortunately, we are often disappointed and frustrated by inaccurate depictions of corrections by the news media. A disturbing...

Correct Rx Pharmacy Services Inc.(quality service)(Company overview)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Correct Rx Pharmacy Services Inc. is a small giant in the correctional pharmacy marketplace. The company places emphasis on quality and providing a new model for correctional pharmacy services that includes the following elements: operational...

An open letter to the ACA membership.(American Correctional Association)
August 1, 2006... Dear Colleagues: It has been an ACA tradition to invite the president whose term is ending to address the membership at the Opening Session of the Congress. I plan to continue that tradition, but there are many of you who will not be in...

Corrections calendar.
August 1, 2006... * Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators, CJCA Summer Business Meeting, Aug. 11-13, Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, N.C. For more information, contact Ned Loughran at (781) 843-2663 or visit www.cjca.net. * American...

Maryland passes new law for sex offenders.(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... On June 22, Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich signed into law a measure to require a minimum prison sentence for child sex offenders and increase the monitoring of convicted sex offenders, reported the Associated Press. The law calls for a five-year...

Indiana merges inmate rehabilitation programs.(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... The Indiana Department of Correction and Commissioner J. David Donahue welcomed four greyhound dogs to the Correctional Industrial Facility in Pendleton as part of its prison pet partnership program. The Second Chance at Life: Inmates and...

Supreme court supports prison restrictions.(newspapers and magazines restricted )
August 1, 2006... The Supreme Court ruled that Pennsylvania prison officials did not violate the rights of inmates by denying them access to certain newspapers and magazines, reported The Washington Post. The justices, by a 6-2 vote, said the state had...

Texas court promotes personal probation.(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Harris County, Texas, is taking a personal approach to probation for people with mental health problems, reported the Houston Chronicle. In March, district judges Marc Carter and Mark Kent Ellis started the mental health court, which is a...

Juvenile incarceration and crime rates drop.(California )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A new California study indicates that the state's juvenile incarceration rate and juvenile crime rate have both dropped dramatically, according to The Sacramento Bee. The rate of commitments to California juvenile facilities dropped to 65 per...

Lead at any level.(Speak Out)
August 1, 2006... I wonder whether we really need another article about leadership. I have read many in recent years. For the most part they were very good, but left me wondering if have we spent enough time discussing the potential leader in all of us. Many...

Sensitive to the needs of female offenders.(BEST IN THE BUSINESS)
August 1, 2006... In 2002, Julie Boehm was selected by the Missouri Department of Corrections (DOC) to fill the women's program manager position because of her experience and passion about gender responsiveness. Shortly thereafter, the DOC became interested in...

The Second Chance Act.(Legislative Issues)
August 1, 2006... Every year, approximately 600,000 inmates are released from prison back into our society. Without adequate professional skills training, an education or direction of any kind, many of them will likely recidivate. In fact, two out of every three...

Old technology becoming new.(Technology Update)
August 1, 2006... Seventy percent of today's technology will be obsolete in six years, or, as others claim, the life expectancy of technology is less than a year. Whichever is true, our society has come to know that the tools it uses to do its jobs change at...

Are you ready for the future of corrections leadership?
August 1, 2006... As an agency leader, what would happen if within the next three years you lost 25 percent of your agency's managers/leaders? Who is in your "leadership pipeline"? Is your pipeline flowing, clogged or dry? Developing potential leaders, selecting...

ACA has a place to call home.(new building of American Correctional Association at Virginia)
August 1, 2006... After nearly 136 years of tremendous changes in corrections, the American Correctional Association has its own home at 206 N. Washington Street in Alexandria, Va. On June 9, ACA welcomed association members, leaders and staff, as well as local...

Leadership: seeing the forest from the trees.(correctional facilities)
August 1, 2006... How does one become an effective leader, and how can correctional facilities help develop better leadership? Ronald Reagan once advised, "Surround yourself with the best people you can, delegate authority and don't interfere as long as the...

E.R. Cass Award: ACA's highest honor.(American Correctional Association names it award in honor of Edward R. Cass)
August 1, 2006... The E.R. Cass Correctional Achievement Award was created in 1962 in honor of Edward R. Cass, who devoted more than 50 years of his life to corrections. Serving as the American Correctional Association's general secretary for 40 consecutive...

Succession planning: preparing future corrections leaders--now.(CT FEATURE)
August 1, 2006... It is probable that many of the employees in correctional agencies today will not be there in five years. Who will replace them? This is a critical question that agency management must address to maintain a safe and orderly operation. Experts...

Leadership in a correctional environment.(CT FEATURE)(Reprint)
August 1, 2006... Editor's note: This article is a shortened version of an article that was published in the May/June issue of Corrections Compendium. The need for sound leadership in the management of prisons is evident after a cursory examination of...

Working toward the future: why and how to collaborate effectively.(CT FEATURE)(Cover story)
August 1, 2006... Author's Note: This document was developed under grant number SJI-99 N-039-CO1-1 from the State Justice Institute. The points of view expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the...

Louisiana's Department of Public Safety and Corrections meets challenges of major hurricane crisis.(CT FEATURE)
August 1, 2006... "When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity." --John F. Kennedy The crisis that swept in with hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 caused major...

Leading the change in facility transition.(CT FEATURE)
August 1, 2006... What does it take to be a leader? At the Davidson County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) in Nashville, Tenn., an agency dedicated to being a leader in the corrections field, the only thing that remains the same is the ability to change. Change is ever...

The benefits of Facility Character assessment tools: the Pennsylvania experience.(CT FEATURE)
August 1, 2006... Authors' note: The views expressed in this article represent those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Department of Justice or the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. In order...

Leadership drain: having the right people for the right jobs at the right time.(CT FEATURE)
August 1, 2006... The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. --Martin Luther King Jr This quote is discussed during the first day of each...

137th Congress of Correction.
August 1, 2006... Aug. 11-16, 2007 Kansas City, MO Theme: The Perceptions of Corrections Editor's Note: Titles of major sessions are subject to change. Goals: * To provide opportunities for skill building and professional development ...

Welcome new members.(Membership News)(correctional institutions)
August 1, 2006... ORGANIZATIONAL CALIFORNIA -- Los Angeles Police Department-Jail Division, Better Times Production COLORADO -- Colorado Correctional Industries HAWAII -- Department of Public Safety LOUISIANA -- The Spirit of Freedom Ministries...

RADIUS program for girls in Minnesota offers a gender-specific model.(Juvenile Justice News)
August 1, 2006... Corrections professionals are looking for new models that can effectively address the needs of women and girls in the correctional system and take on the unique challenges they pose. For the past six years, the Minnesota Department of...

Supreme court rules ... state prisons may be financially liable to inmates for ADA Title II violations.(Americans with Disabilities Act)
August 1, 2006... In a decision that should grab the attention of correctional officials nationwide, the Supreme Court, in the case of United States v. Georgia, (1) has unanimously ruled that state prisoners whose rights have been violated under Title II of the...

Intelligence-led probation: what can we learn from policing?(Probation and Parole Forum)
August 1, 2006... The interest in police/probation collaborations has been growing ever since probation became focused on the reduction of re-offending by offenders under supervision. It is timely that probation leaders begin to ask questions concerning what...

Envisioning the future: proactive leadership through data-driven decision-making.
August 1, 2006... By definition, leadership means being ahead of the rest. As such, it is a visionary, forward-thinking process targeted toward proactive strategies. While others are engaged in reacting to existing events and maintaining the status quo, leaders...

Brief mental health screening for corrections intake.(NU Update)
August 1, 2006... Authors' note: Points of view expressed in this article do not represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Correctional administrators need brief, cost-effective, easy-to-administer and reliable mental...

Heery International.(signed for building judicial center by Pennsylvania. General Assembly )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Heery International, one of the nation's leading architecture, engineering and construction management firms, was chosen to manage the construction of the Pennsylvania Judicial Center, a new building in the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex....

Johnson Controls Inc.(Indiana. Department of Correction signs )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... The Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) awarded an energy savings contract to Johnson Controls Inc. to upgrade the energy management systems in four prison facilities, enhancing the state's agriculture sector at the same time. The...

Prison Health Services Inc.(Richard Hallworth appointed)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Prison Health Services Inc., founder of the privately managed correctional health care field and a wholly-owned subsidiary of America Service Group, announced in March the appointment of Richard Hallworth as the new president and chief...

Vinyl Products Mfg. Inc.(Private Sector News)
August 1, 2006... Vinyl Products Mfg. Inc. presented in October 2005 its Security First Correctional Mattress, a breakthrough in institutional mattress design that is expected to save inspection time and money in its first year of service. In-house testing...